He said: “What authorization does the journalist require to perform his professional duty of covering a political campaign event? How can a purely journalistic act by a cameraman from a television station filming a public political campaign event and beaming it live to a public audience be characterized as espionage? Should the cameraman have first made a public announcement that he is covering the event so as not to be accused of doing so clandestinely?He added: “We find this particularly...
According to Mr. Longe, “If this attitude is indicative of the vision of the party or its presidential candidate on the role of the media in the democratic process, then we shudder to think of what the future holds for journalists and the media community should this attitude and mentality be brought into the highest political office in Nigeria.
Saying that anyone unwilling to be subjected to scrutiny by the media has no business seeking public office, Mr. Longe stressed that it is contrary to the code of journalism practice in Nigeria and everywhere else in the world that institutions or individuals who are being held accountable should be the ones to determine the media organizations or journalists that are allowed to hold them to account.
Mr. Longe also called on the APC-PCC to publicly apologise to the cameraman and his media organization and make a public commitment not to repeat such action in future.
I have recently discovered that if you speak and support the truth, automatically, you will never enjoy massive company of people but when you tell a lie and support it, you make many friends. Life of pretence everywhere.
Mumu group